Vietnam Leaders Talk of Transition to Socialism

The central committee of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party wrapped up its plenary session on Sunday with a call for more socialism in the coming decade.

The party's top leadership, which is laying the groundwork for the 11th Party Congress in 2011, is aiming for annual economic growth of 7 to 8 per cent over the coming five years.

Vietnam is on target to hit the government's 6.5 per cent target for this year.

Addressing the plenary, CPV general secretary Nong Duc Manh declared that by 2020, the "fundamental infrastructure for a socialist economy will be completed, with an appropriate political, ideological and cultural superstructure to serve as a foundation for an ever more prosperous socialist nation."

To this end, Mr Nong said that the efficiency and effectiveness of state administration needs to be enhanced.

He stressed the need to "advance the fight against corruption and waste, strengthen the party's leadership and promote the people's right to mastery over the state apparatus."

Mr Nong said that the party expected Vietnam to be "a modern and socialist-oriented industrial nation between now and mid-century."

Twenty-five years of Doi Moi reforms have served to reduce the role of central planning in the economy, but state-owned firms continue to dominate in key sectors.

The Finance Ministry recently issued a circular providing for price controls on private businesses to fight inflation, indicating that authorities were seeking to reassert control over the economy.

That's very interesting. I've to say that I had almost lost my hopes for Vietnam, but these are really encouraging words.

Do you hear CPC?

"You're a pretty cool guy" - Mabool"the social democrats don't give a frag about changing this capitalist system [...] so they can lick my greasy peanut buttered balls like the dog they are." - Greenanarchism

That sounds great. I haven't read much on what Vietnam's plan for socialism is. I've mostly considered it similar to that of the PRC but they hardly talk about socialism and place a lot of emphasis on purely economic development.

"By what standard of morality can the violence used by a slave to break his chains be considered the same as the violence of a slave master?" - Walter Rodney

This is excellent news. I didn't realise the Left faction of the Vietnam CP had become influential enough to push for reforms on this scale. I'd been thinking that Vietnam might head in a Socialist direction after such reform had begun in China, but if what I read here pans out (and let's be honest it might not. Policies can change) it could be the other way around.

Vietnam has enjoyed fast growth rates since the Doi Moi reforms and hopefully it would grow for some time before the inevitable slowdown in growth. They still have a long way to go before developing the infrastructure as their GDP per capita is $2,900 est. 2009 (not the best indicator of living standards but still), far below than that of countries like Guyana, Iraq and Mongolia but this is excellent news.

Soviet cogitations: 4779Defected to the U.S.S.R.: 12 May 2010, 07:43Ideology: Other LeftistPolitburo

21 May 2010, 02:16

CPSR wrote:

Yes this is true BUT we don't follow the PRC any more.

From what I understand, PR China and Vietnam have not really been on good terms since Vietnam developed better relations with the USSR and when China and Vietnam had some border skirmishes that escalated into a full-blown war. There have been some closer economic ties in recent years, but I'm not too familiar with what's been happening since.

Quote:

What they bring to us, which make thousands of our people die each year is enough.

What exactly do you mean by that? I don't think I follow exactly, and like I said, I'm not too familiar with the dealings between the two countries.

“Conservatism is the blind and fear-filled worship of dead radicals” - Mark Twain

A few weeks ago, I was in Pretoria, South Africa, for the International Festival of Youth and Students, an worldwide meeting of the international anti-imperialist World Federation of Democratic Youth.The Vietnamese delegation organised a Conference there in which they stated that "Vietnam is on the road towards Socialism and is marching down that road every single day" and is "implementing Socialism every year a bit more".This was a very interesting revelation for me, to hear such an honest and frankly, humble speech from a delegate of a nation that has fought over thirty years for its Liberation. According to the Vietnamese delegation, the market reforms were implemented in order to quickly rebuild and advance Vietnam's completely ruined economy, a goal which has been largely accomplished, paving the way for true Socialism to advance.